asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the total net rateable value and total area, and what amount of local taxation is paid, respectively, in the case of the agricultural land which is charged with reduced rates under the provisions of the Agricultural Rates Acts, and of the farmhouses, farm buildings, and farm cottages attached to such agricultural land and separately rated?

I have been asked to reply. I would remind the hon. Member that in England and Wales the rateable values of farmhouses and farm buildings respectively are not shown separately in the valuation lists now in force, and are not required to be shown separately until the first new valuation lists under the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, are prepared. Those lists will come into force in some areas on 1st April, 1928, and in other areas on 1st April, 1929. The available information is that the rateable value of "agricultural" land in England and Wales on 1st April, 1926, was £26,065,000, and that the amount of rates paid during the year ended 31st March, 1927, in respect of such land was, as nearly as can be estimated, £4,250,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many cases of foot-and-mouth disease occurred during last March?

Two cases of foot-and-mouth disease occurred during last March—one on 4th March at Little Tey, Colchester, and the other on 7th March at Tamworth, Staffordshire. Infection appears to have been conveyed in each case from other centres of disease. All

Cases.		Year ended 30th September.				Total,1922 to 1925.
		1922.	1923.	1924.	1925.
Reported to Agricultural Committee	…	241	936	1,481	1,451	4,109
Dealt with by arrangement*	…	187	917	1,426	1,321	3,851
Notices served	…	82	91	104	190	467
Prosecution—
Successful	…	1	6	9	14	30
Unsucsessful	…	—	3	—	1	4
* Some cases are satisfactorily dealt with by arrangement without the matter being reported to the Agricultural Committee.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will consider the desirability of issuing an order under Section 2 of the Importation of Animals Act, 1922, permitting the importation into Great Britain of non-tubercular Canadian cows and heifers?

The question of authorising the admission of non-pedigree breeding cattle from Canada was considered in 1923, but agriculturists were so strongly opposed to the proposal that the representatives of His Majesty's Government in Great Britain found it necessary to explain at the Imperial Economic Conference of that year that they could not contemplate the issue of the necessary Order under Section 2 of the Importation of Animals Act, 1922, and the Conference confined its recommendation to a resolution advocating the promotion of inter-Imperial trade in pedigree stock throughout the Empire on reciprocal terms. The Importation of

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of cases of action taken by county agricultural committees to enforce the Regulations for cutting weeds under the provisions contained in the Schedule to the Corn Production Acts (Repeal) Act, 1921?

The latest available figures of the number of cases in which action has been taken by county agricultural committees to enforce the Regulations for cutting weeds under the provisions of the Corn Production Acts (Repeal) Act, 1921, are as follow:Animals Act, 1925, gives effect to this resolution so far as His Majesty's Government are concerned. To-day agricultural interests are as definitely opposed to any extension of the existing system as they were in 1923, and I can hold out no hope of any alteration in the position on the lines suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the cost per year to date of administering the Agricultural Wages Act; whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is not costing anything like the amount originally specified, and that it is felt in agricultural circles that more inspectors are required in view of the evasions of the Act; and whether he will state the number of inspectors at the beginning of 1926 and at the present time?

The cost per year is about £35,000, which is less than the sum contemplated by the Act, but I am satisfied that the saving has not been obtained at the expense of efficient administration. The position in regard to the enforcement of the Act was reviewed last year, and the number of inspectors was increased in November last from 10 to 15. I consider that the staff is now sufficient to secure the proper observance of the Act.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total interest charges on the National Debt for the year ended 31st March, 1920, and for the year ended 31st March, 1927, showing the amount of interest paid to the United States of America separately?

As we had not ceased to borrow for expenditure in 1919–20, I will add to the figures asked for by my hon. Friend those for the year 1920–21, in which the interest charge reached its peak. The figures then are:

Interest payments {excluding management, etc.)
—	To United States Government.	Other.	Total.
	£	£	£
1919–20	19,297,000	303,228,000	322,525,000
1920–21	289,000	325,785,000	326,074,000
1926–27	27,948,000	288,455,000	316,403,000

Payment of interest in 1919–20 on the main debt to the United States Government was made for a few months only, being suspended from May, 1919, to December, 1S22. Our real liability for the year 1920–21 in respect of interest on this debt was about £57,000,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the duty on betting imposed by the Finance Act, 1926, is charged on the stake involved or on the winnings, if any, on that stake as well?

The charge to betting duty imposed by Section 15 (1) (a) of the Finance Act, 1926, is upon every bet made with a bookmaker, irrespective of the result of the bet.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the treaty between His Majesty's-Government and the Irish Free State Government dealing with double liability for Income Tax contains no provision exempting British residents from Irish Corporation Profits Tax; and whether he-will take steps to secure a revision of the treaty in order to remedy this-anomaly?

In view of the termination of British Corporation Profits Tax by Section 34 of the Finance Act, 1924, arrangements for relief from double taxation to British and Irish Free State Corporation Profits Tax are not required.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what would be the saving to the Treasury if a reduction of five per cent. on all salaries paid from moneys voted by Parliament to all persons, irrespective of office, earning more than £150 per annum?

The information which would be required in order to furnish an answer to this question is not available and could not be obtained without extensive detailed inquiries which would not, in my opinion, be justified.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the number of temporary clerical women serving, on the 1st March, 1927, as Grades 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and the number of P Class and temporary male clerical officers serving on the same date as Grade 1, 2, and 3 clerks in the Civil Service?

I have no figures for the 1st March, 1927, but on 1st January, 1927, the total number of temporary women clerks was 2,627, and the total of unestablished and temporary male clerks {including "P" class clerks) was 21,280. Exact particulars as to the numbers of the above clerks in Grades 1, 2 and 3 respectively on the same date are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of people on the live register at the Employment Exchanges on 30th March, 1922, and each subsequent year on the same date?

The number of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain on the last Monday in March from 1922 onwards were as follow:

1922	…	…	…	…	1,736,457
1923	…	…	…	…	1,284,209
1924	…	…	…	…	1,058,273
1925	…	…	…	…	1,194,313
1926	…	…	…	…	1,013,609
1927	…	…	…	…	1,081,729

asked the Minister of Labour the cost-of-living figures for March, 1922, and each subsequent year on the same date?

The figures are as follow: 1922, 86; 1923, 76; 1924, 78; 1925, 79; 1926, 72; 1927, 71. They relate to 1st March, except in the case of 1925, where they relate to 28th February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of the imports from Italy to Britain in 1926; and what were the respective amounts of the chief imports?

The total declared value of the merchandise imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during 1926, and consigned from Italy, was £15,740,000. The values of the principal classes of goods are stated below:

Classes of Imports.	Declared Value. Thous. £.
Articles of Food, Drink and Tobacco:
Cheese (except margarine cheese)	680
Eggs in shell	174
Fruits: lemons, limes, etc.	834
Vegetables, preserved	622
Wine	172
Raw Materials and Articles mainly Unmanufactured:
Sulphur	162
Silk cocoons and waste of all kinds, except noils	147
Silk, raw	293
Hemp and hemp tow	515
Hides and skins, wet, other than calf skins	483
Articles wholly or mainly manufactured:
Marble (other than works of art)	467
Silk, thrown and spun silk yarn	270
Silk, piece goods, wholly of silk (except apparel and embroidery), dyed or not dyed	1,306
Silk, piece goods mixed with other materials including artificial silk, if known as "silks," dyed or not dyed	529
Artificial silk yarn, thread and straw	129
Gloves, of leather	509
Hats, of felt	847
Motor cars: touring cars	256
Rubber tyres	715
Buttons and studs	282
All other Articles	6,348
Total imports	15,740

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount of the imports from France to Britain in 1926; and what were the respective amounts of the chief imports?

The total declared value of the merchandise imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland during 1926, and consigned from France, was £59,120,000.The values of the principal classes of goods are stated below:

Classes of Imports.	Declared Value. Thous. £
Articles of Food, Drink and Tobacco:
Poultry, dead	402
Butter	239
Eggs in shell	367
Walnuts	256
Plums, raw	459
Potatoes	1,347
Raw vegetables, other than potatoes	1,050
Brandy	1,007
Wine	2,992
Raw Materials and Articles Mainly Unmanufactured:
Coal	325
Pitprops	744
Sheep's and lambs' wool, raw	1,416
Woollen rags, not pulled	265
Articles Wholly or Mainly Manufactured:
Pig iron: basic	269
Steel blooms, billets, etc.	1,534
Cotton piece goods	594
Cotton lace, other than curtains	135
Woollen yarns (carded only)	1,858
Woollen tissues	2,568
Worsted tissues	1,269
Silk manufactures:
Piece goods:
Wholly of silk	5,021
Of silk mixed with other materials	1,620
Ribbons of silk and of silk mixed with other materials	582
Women's and girls' outer garments of woven fabrics	1,844
Gloves: leather	250
leather dressed	1,211
Motor vehicles and chassis	711
Rubber tyres and tubes	2,102
Fancy goods (not of leather)	852
All other articles	25,831
Total Imports	59,120

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered placing a duty on raisin wine and ginger wine, which have a high alcoholic content?

I am unable to anticipate the Budget statement.

asked the President of the Board of Education the estimated expenditure of local education authorities from rates and the estimated national expenditure from taxes on education for the latest available year; and the respective increases since 1913?

The expenditure from rates and taxes on educational services falling within the purview of my Department is estimated, for 1927–28, at £32,164,000 and £44,045,000, respectively, being an increase over the expenditure for 1913–14 of £15,979,000 from rates and £28,723,000 from taxes.

asked the President of the Board of Education (1) the amount spent in the last financial year in support of adult education; the names of the organisations receiving grants with the amount received in each case; and the respective figures for the year 1921;(2) the number of classes in England and Wales providing adult education during the last complete year for which figures are available; the names of the councils or organisations responsible for the classes, with the number of classes for which each is responsible, classes under joint control to be shown separately?

The following table shows the bodies in receipt of grants from the Board in the financial year 1926–27 in respect of classes, schools, etc., conducted under the Adult Education Regulations during the school year 1925–26, the grants paid and the number of classes, etc., held. The separate expenditure incurred by local authorities on classes, etc., of this type cannot be stated.

asked the President of the Board of Education the districts from which coal has been drawn for the experimental work of the Fuel Research Board?

Coal for the experimental work of the Fuel Research Board has been drawn from the following coal- fields in Great Britain: Northumberland and Durham, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, North Staffordshire, South Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, South Wales, Kent, Lanarkshire, Stirling, and Linlithgow. Arrangements are being made for a test on some Somerset coal to be carried out shortly.